The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FORT Charlotte MP Dr Andre Rollins sought to distance himself yesterday from reports suggesting he would expose wrongdoing within the Christie administration if his friend Bamboo Town MP Renward Wells is fired as parliamentary secretary in the Ministry of Works for signing a $650m letter of intent with a waste-to-energy company.

He also denied that he was withholding any information on corruption within the government.

Dr Rollins told NB12 in an interview that aired on Monday that “there is more than meets the eye” in the Renward Wells controversy, adding that if his “friend” is fired, he is prepared to “say who also should be fired”.

“Some other people need to be fired too,” he said in the earlier interview, adding: “If Renward Wells needs to be fired, he is not the only one, and I have a problem with you trying to scapegoat my friend.”

Many observers took his words to mean he had information on impropriety within the Christie administration.

However, in a statement yesterday, Dr Rollins suggested his views on the matter were misrepresented.

“I want to make it absolutely clear that nowhere in my interview with NB12 did I impute corrupt motives to anyone,” he said. “I never suggested that I had any information to that effect. In no way do I support or condone corruption in government. Without being comprehensive in my response to the question asked by (NB12 reporter) Ms Toote, I can understand how I may have created this impression. I certainly regret that such an impression was created. In giving my terse response, I was referring to the principles of ministerial and collective responsibility as defined by the Westminster system of government and in that regard, I sought to convey that any shortcomings or failings with respect to the (letter of intent) matter cannot be levelled solely at the feet of a junior member of the government.

“To do so would be to make that individual a scapegoat, which would demonstrate a clear lack of respect for that individual and the system of government we are supposed to be guided by. The implications for the minister and Cabinet, therefore, are what I was alluding to when I said that there is more than meets the eye with respect to this matter.

Dr Rollins also reiterated his criticism of Prime Minister Perry Christie’s failure to deal with the matter.

“Having this LOI matter linger for as long as it has without a conclusive statement from our nation’s leader has only served to feed the perception that our government lacks transparency and accountability, which is not in the interests of our nation’s growth and development. Therefore, as I have said previously, the nation would be well served by having the prime minister address this matter,” he said.

Political reaction to Dr Rollins’ statements to NB12 were swift and negative.

On Tuesday Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Chairman Bradley Roberts called him an egomaniac, and urged him to disclose the information he knows or “shut the hell up.”

Free National Movement (FNM) Deputy Leader Loretta Butler-Turner and Chairman Darron Cash criticised Dr Rollins for threatening to blackmail the government, saying he should disclose any information that would aid the public’s understanding of a controversy Mr Christie has thus far declined to publicly address.

Mr Wells signed the letter of intent with Stellar Waste to Energy Management on July 4. Officials have suggested he did so without Cabinet approval and that he acted outside the parametres of a parliamentary secretary.

In August, the prime minister said he would address the controversy “imminently” and told reporters he had ordered a report into the matter. However he has said nothing on the controversy since then.